Collection and delivery mail-box.



No. 632,8!5. Patented Sept. l2, I899.

W. H. KESSLER. COLLECTION AND DELIVERY MAIL BOX.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM H. KESSLER, OF MERWIN, MlSSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOGEORGE M. ROSIER.

COLLECTION AND DELIVERY MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,815, datedSeptember 12, 1899.

Application filed July 21, 1899. Serial No. 724,677. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. KESSLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Merwin, in the county of Bates and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Collection and DeliveryMail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a mail-box which shall be cheapof manufacture, simple of construction, and easy of operation, and onein which mail may be deposited for collection and delivery.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts inthe several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig.2 is a side elevation showing my box attached to a door. Fig. 3 is anend view of my invention, in which a portion of the box is broken awayand in which one end of the cover is removed.

In carrying out my invention I provide a box A, comprising end pieces aand b, side pieces 0 and d, and a bottom piece e. The end pieces aresemicircular at their upper edges, as shown at a and b, which saidsemicircular edges are connected by plates 6 and f, preferably formed ofthin metal, and which are provided with longitudinal slots 9 and h forthe reception of the mail. The plates 6 and f are so arranged as toleave an opening 1' extending the length of the box and at its highestpoint.

The interior of my mail-box is divided into three parts by partitions jand is, arranged longitudinally thereof. These partitions extendupwardly to within a short distance of the plates 6 and f and arearranged directly below the adjacent edges thereof. The division j thusformed is for the reception of mail for collection, and the division 71;is for the delivered mail. Pivoted to the end pieces a and b arerollersland m, interposed between the upper edges of the partitions jand k and the plates 2 and f and lying parallel therewith.

in, and supported by which is a weight '1).

These rods also support rollers w, arranged 'oppositely in pairs at eachend of the cover and adapted to roll upon the plates e and f above theend pieces a and b.

The cover it is connected to the body of the box by arms y and z, thelatter of which is extended to form a lever, the end of which is adaptedto engage the free end of a slidablyarranged signal-supporting rod 1,supporting a flag or other suitable signal 2. This signal is normallyconcealed from view by a shield 2, secured to the end of the box,beneath which the rod and signal are adapted to slide. Suitable liftsare attached to either side of the cover to facilitate its operation.

In the side a of the box is an opening through which the mail intendedfor collection may be secured, and'which is normally closed by a door 3,provided with a suitable fastening, and to the end I) is secured a block4 by which the box may be secured to a house-door. Adjacent the block 4is an openingthrough which the delivered mail may be secured, surroundedby an outwardly-projecting flange which is adapted to be passed throughthe door to which the mail-box is attached. This opening is also closedby a suitable closure 6,which is provided with locking means.

From the above description it will be seen that when the mail isdeposited the cover of the box must be rocked, and if the deposited mailis for collection the lid must be rocked in such a manner as to causethe end .2 of the arm or the lever a to engage the free end of thesliding rod 1, and thus cause the signal 2 to project sufficiently to beseen by an approaching collector. \Vhen the cover it is released, itwill be returned to the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of the weightw, supported by the strip 2, which plays on the rollers Z and m. Afterthe mail is removed the a sling suspended from the axles of the rollers,a weight supported by the sling, a signal mounted upon the body portionand means for operating the signal at the oscillation of the cover.

2. A device of the class described comprising a body portion anoscillating cover pivot ally secured to the body portion, rollersinterposed between the cover and the body portion, a sling suspendedfrom the axles of the rollers, a weight supported by the sling, an armsecured to each end of the cover portion, pivotally connected to thebody portion, one of said arms extending beyond its pivot, aslidably-arran ged signal mounted upon the body to hold cover fromengagement with the body portion, a sling suspended from the rods andbetw een the rollers, a weightsupported by the sling, rollers mountedwithin the body of the sling, arms pivotally connecting the body portionand the. cover portion, one of said arms being extended beyond itspivot, a sl-idably-arranged signal mounted upon the portion adapted toreceive the respective sides body portion and adapted to be operated bythe extension of said arm when the cover is.

in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. KESSLER.

Witnesses: a

J. L. HAYES, E. T. KIRKPATRICK.

